1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to devices for lifting and more specifically, to an adapter that is placed between a jack and a lifting point located on a vehicle.
2. Background of the Invention
A variety of lifting means for vehicles are described in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,038 to Pendergraft entitled Bumper Mounted Foldable Crane Hoist discloses a pair of screw operated outrigger jacks, each including a lug that slips into a receiver in a rear hoist support. U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,983 to Boland, et al. entitled Rear Bumper Assembly for Cable Pulling Truck discloses a cable pulling truck having a rear bumper assembly secured to the vehicle frame. The bumper assembly includes two laterally extensible telescoping outrigger supports, each carrying at its outer end an upstanding vertical support tube for receiving therein the shaft of an associated winch motor in its use configuration. Each outrigger also carries a hand-operated jack assembly for supporting the vehicle on the ground, each jack assembly being pivotally movable between storage and use conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,078 to Karrer entitled Bumper for Utility Vehicle discloses a bumper for a pickup truck or other utility vehicle including a jack that inserts into a tubular receiver that pins to the bumper. The prior art also discloses at least one jack adapter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,848 to Rutter entitled Jack Adapter discloses a jack adapter including a cylindrical rod having a recess formed in one end for indexing the end to a jack centering projection of a vehicle and a threaded aperture formed in an opposite end. The rod has a length selected to extend at least the distance between the jack support surface and the lower surface of an accessory running board mounted to the vehicle and a threaded fastener is employed for securing the rod to the accessory jack for the vehicle. The prior art also discloses attaching accessory items to a trailer hitch. U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,615 to Dimand entitled Trailer Hitch Cart Attachment Mechanism discloses a cart carrier attached to a vehicle trailer hitch.
Late model vehicles including a variety of passenger and utility vehicles include bumpers which, while serving the purpose of resisting impact, do not provide a point at which a lift engagement element of a jack may be placed for the purpose of lifting a corner of the vehicle, for instance to remove a tire. In most cases these vehicles provide one or more locations, typically on the frame of the vehicle, at which a specialty jack may be attached.
While employing a jack that requires attachment to the vehicle at limited or prescribed locations may be acceptable in some circumstances, it may often be inconvenient for an individual to access the location at which a jack is intended by the manufacturer to be attached to the vehicle. Alternately, the jack intended for use with a particular vehicle may be lost and an alternate jack used. In other situations, particularly with trucks or other utility vehicles that are designed to haul substantial loads, an operator may desire to use a jack having a capacity that is greater than that of the jack provided with the vehicle.
In any of these situations the front or rear bumpers may not be configured to provide an adequate point of purchase at which the jack might engage the vehicle. Many vehicles however include a towing hitch, typically located at the rear of the vehicle. Frame mounted towing hitches typically include a cross-frame member that extends between and attaches to at least two points on the vehicle frame. Additionally, many vehicles include one or more towing lugs commonly affixed to the frame and extending to the front or the rear of the vehicle.
Advantage may therefore be found in providing a device which adapts a jack to engage a structural member of a trailer hitch that attaches to a frame of a vehicle. Additional advantage may be found in providing an apparatus that adapts a jack to engage a towing lug of a vehicle. Advantage may also be found in providing a combination device that provides a device which adapts a jack to engage a structural member of a trailer hitch that attaches to a frame of a vehicle and a device that adapts a jack to engage a towing lug of a vehicle, allowing the user to determine which adapter is best suited for a particular application.